Englewood, Colo. – One of the highlights of coming to Denver to watch the Texans practice against the Broncos was seeing former media relations director Jim Saccomano.

Saccomano retired after the 2013 season after 36 years with the Broncos, but he still has an office in the stadium and drops by when he feels like it. Today was one of those days.

Sacco, as he’s known to everyone in the NFL, is one of the all-time great guys and one of the all-time great media relations directors. His predecessor, Patrick Smyth, is following in some gigantic footsteps.

Sacco and I talked today about an Oilers trip to the Broncos training camp in Greeley in 1984. The Broncos trained at Northern Colorado for decades. I remember the awful smell from a nearby slaughterhouse as well as so many fans being able to attend practice back then, not to mention so many members of the media crowding all four sides of the practice fields.

The Oilers’ first-year coach, Hugh Campbell, didn’t like the way the Broncos let the media go just about anywhere. He made his media relations director, Bob Hyde, keep reporters away from the area between the practice fields. Hyde was forced to spend most of practice like a policeman directing traffic, and one writer wrote a column ripping Hyde so bad it was laughable. At least to everyone but Hyde.

Sacco and I remembered it was if it were yesterday, but it was 30 summers ago.

Sacco, who grew up outside Denver, is a die-hard Yankees fan, an old-fashioned boy of summer hoping for a winning streak and dreaming about a playoff appearance but not getting his hopes up.

I don’t care what happens the rest of the week, but getting to visit with Jim Saccomano today was worth the trip.